For the Love of a Pirate
by BurningSilverBridges
Summary: Emma had to share her secret as well in the Echo cave, and it certainly wasn't what everyone was expecting. My take on 3x06. Captain Swan


**This is just an idea I had after watching the last episode. Hook's secret blew my mind and made me want to attack my TV, but I had to keep it in and act like a sane person. Of course, my inner fangirl was going crazy and was about to beat me to death with a frying pan (hahah_ pan) _unless I posted this. Basically, I'm just rewriting the Echo cave scene :)**

**Hope you like it! **

**Let me know what you think by clicking the 'Review' button!**

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They finally managed to reach the cave and man, Emma couldn't the remember the lest time she was so happy to get somewhere. She looked around, and her spirits fell as she took her surroundings in. The place they kept Neal in was dreadful. It smelt like something died in there and it made her skin crawl. Hell, the whole place seemed unnaturally _off, _even for their standards.

She was walking behind Hook, who, for the first time, was eerily quiet. He kept his head down and stared at the floor, not a word escaping him. She actually found herself wishing she could read his mind, just to know what he was thinking about.

She shook her head. There she goes again. This worrying thing that seemed to take over her whenever he wasn't being his dumbass self was starting to get on her nerves. She wanted nothing more than to go back to a time when she wanted to punch him in the face whenever he made some crass comment, or rip his heart out when he betrayed her.

But she knew she couldn't go back to that. This... thing between Hook and her was something she wouldn't have put her money on in a thousand years, but it was still there. It surprised her as much as the next guy, but she was actually warming up to him.

If warming up meant she wanted him to make her stop acting like there was nothing there, grab her in his arms and kiss her so that her brain melted... then yeah, she was warming up to him.

She shook her head, _again. __Focus, Emma, _she told herself, _this is about rescuing Neal. Henry's father. Stop acting like a stupid schoolgirl._

The inner scolding she was giving herself wasn't working and it only distracted her further, making her run into his back when he stopped walking. She jerked back and ducked her head, feeling her parents' eyes on her, only making this thing a lot more embarrassing.

"Sorry," she mumbled, still not looking him in the eye.

"'s okay," he replied, clearly distracted by something else. She looked up and followed his eyes, feeling her own widen when she saw Neal in that cage. Guilt washed over her - this is what he had to go through? Being locked up like a damn animal?

He saw her, from his cage, and at first it seemed like he didn't believe she was there. She could barely believe it either, so she couldn't really blame him.

"Emma!" he called, his voice echoing throughout the cave. She jerked back at the sound of his voice, taking an almost scared step back.

"Neal," she breathed out.

"It must be hundred feet across," Mary Margaret stated, looking slightly desperate as they all weighted out their options.

"Even if we used some kind of rope there's nothing to attach it to. No way to swing over," David said, looking around.

"So what do we do?" Emma asked, looking around. David and Mary Margaret seemed to be having a silent conversation, using their true-love-telepathy-thing Emma could never understand.

"I told you what needs to be done," came a response to her question. She turned to Hook, who seemed to be strangely uncomfortable, his blue eyes almost looking _hurt. _He licked his lips, which suddenly seemed too dry. "Consider this the moment of truth. Mutually. Now, who wants to kick things off?" a sarcastic, sardonic smirk danced on his lips.

"So what, someone tells their secret and they sprout wings?" it sounded ridiculous, even coming from her own mouth.

"I don't know the particulars, only what I've been told," he told her, trying his best not to sound annoyed. He didn't want to be there, but he knew he had to. This wasn't about him, this was about helping her rescue her true love and her lad, then bring them all to their home so they could have their glorified happy ending everyone seemed to be going on and on about.

Someone give him some rum.

"Well how do you know it'll work?" David asked.

He turned from them, now wanting them to see him weak for even a fraction of a second. He sighed and scratched his nose, trying to think. Should he do it? Tell his deepest, darkest secret? Let her and her _bloody parents _know what he himself has been denying for the past few days? He couldn't.

But he knew he had to. For her, it was worth it. A thousand of his darkest secrets and more, he'd give it all to make see her happy.

Someone should _really _give him some rum.

He took a deep breath. _Here we go. Taking a leap of faith. _"I kissed Emma."

"You what?" David started, his eyes as wide as a couple of plates.

"David, now is _not _the time," Mary Margaret scowled, sounding like a real mother.

"I already told Mary Margaret so technically, it's not a secret," Emma said, motioning at her. "But it was just a kiss. How is that your darkest secret?" she questioned. Emma couldn't decide whether she wanted or didn't want to know the answer to that question.

"It's what the kiss exposed," he admitted. "My secret is - I never thought I'd be capable of letting go of my first love, of my Milah, to believe I could find someone else, that is, until I met you."

She looked at him, trying to find the words to voice what she was thinking. All her thoughts seemed to blend into a blur, her brain slowly going into overdrive. At one point she was afraid her head might spontaneously combust, but thankfully, all her silly ideas went to the back of her mind when the ground suddenly shook. A part of the bridge assembled, and they all stared in wonder as it did.

Soon, both Mary Margaret and David took their turns. And as groundbreaking as their secrets seemed to Emma, they obviously weren't enough for the bridge. A part of it was still missing. Emma eyed it with distaste. Couldn't the damn thing take mercy on her soul and not make her spill her guts? She already knew she had many secrets, one including Neal, but she knew that one would not assemble the bridge. She'd have to dig deeper.

Mary Margaret gave her a sad smile, probably already assuming what her darkest secret was.

She turned to Hook, clenching and un-clenching her fists uncontrollably, trying to focus her thoughts on something other than his eyes that seemed to see right through her.

"That," she said, pointing at his face, throwing him off-board. "I hate that about you."

He squinted at her, "I... I'm not sure I follow."

"That..." she squeezed her fist once again, her nails digging into her palm, "look you get... I feel like you can read my mind. I hate that about you. And I... I think you're the most infuriating, insufferable, annoying _pirate _on the face of the earth, and sometimes... I just want to choke the life out of you with my bare hands," she managed through gritted teeth, mimicking her choking something.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, sounding a little horrified.

Emma ignored her and took a deep breath, locking eyes with the man in front of her. "But... that's not my secret," she continued as if nobody has said anything, "my secret is that... every night, before I fall asleep, I... I see your face," she said, a gentle smile spilling over her face. "And when I don't? Then it's... just... not a good night's sleep." The words rolled off her tongue and she closed her eyes, feeling utterly defeated, not wanting to see the looks on her parents' faces. She couldn't even imagine their reaction.

Everything was shaking and in the next second the bridge was complete. Not wanting to face either Hook or Mary Margaret and David, Emma drew her sword and carefully made her way to Neal. After she told him she would always love him for being Henry's father but also that she wished he was dead, they were finally free. Free to get out of the cave, at least.

They made their way out of the cave, all of them silent, immersed in their own thoughts. Emma didn't exactly feel like million bucks. She had hoped that once she voiced her secrets they would stop gnawing at her soul but now, she felt as if the whole thing just weighted even more, and the pressure was threatening to crush her chest.

Neal telling her he'd always fight for her didn't help either. She didn't want him to fight for her. What she wanted was wearing a leather coat and was smirking at her. What she truly wanted -other than finding Henry- wasn't hers, and as things felt now, she doubted it ever would be.

If only she could tell her heart that.


End file.
